Summer vacation!

Summertime for me is going on a really cool vacation! I start planning our vacations months in advance. I find so much joy in researching the destination that we plan on visiting. I will go online to read reviews of hotels, restaurants and museums. I even ask my friends and family their advice on what they recommend if they have been to that destination before.

For me, it is like being a child again anticipating Christmas gearing up for the trip. I’m very lucky that my husband and I both enjoy the same things and we both have a passion for travel and experiencing new places every year.

This year we planned our first trip to Italy to celebrate my 50th birthday. It was a trip of a lifetime and a dream come true for me. We landed in Venice on my 50th birthday and then traveled to the Tuscany region and toured some great wineries and had dinner with Stefano and his lovely wife! He is one of our best gold vendors and has been going on-air at EVINE for almost 20 years!

I also had dinner with my friend Manuela Biancospino in Rome. She is another fabulous guest and represents the Toscana Jewelry line.

We enjoyed going to the Uffizi museum and the Accademia Gallery to see David – just incredible. From there we left Florence for Positano and Capri, and enjoyed the Mediterranean for a week before finishing our trip in Rome! We had great walking tours and also were lucky enough to see Pope Francis give his blessing in St. Peter’s Square on Father’s Day.

What about you? Where would you like to go on a trip? A vacation doesn’t need to be anywhere far off or exotic to be a dream come true, it can be down the block or around the corner! I’d love to hear from you.